KARACHI: In William Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming of the Shrew after Kate (shrew) finally understands the importance of a married life defines home as a place where one feels ‘secure and safe’. This is the most basic aspect of having a home: to feel unafraid. In modern times, however, sociopolitical, in certain cases psychological, upheavals have caused large-scale displacements divesting people of their homes. This implies a constant sense of insecurity. The artist community knows it very well.

Ayessha Quraishi’s latest exhibition titled Temporary Homes Cast Temporary Shadows that concluded on Friday at the Koel Art Gallery in an is an insightful reminder of the situation.

Quraishi has carved a niche in the art world by virtue of a visual language that’s her own. In that regard, while praising her technique, the gallery highlights her ‘gestural mark-making’ style; it is indeed of top-notch quality. But the other thing that the artist does with remarkable creative alacrity is that she imbues her work with certain tenderness through the feathery use of mediums such as ink and oil. This tenderness, in turn, augments the poignancy of the subject matter she wishes to put across. ‘The Waters’ and ‘The Stolen Wave’ series are two very fine examples.

In order to get the drift of what it means to the artist to lose a home she predicates the idea on her discussion with a poet about water: “…How it flows from and with memories that have sometimes personal, sometimes internal and sometimes global meanings.”

Now in art water is a symbol of change, which is what Quraishi is hinting at. However, in literature, especially with reference to mythology, it also symbolises fertility. While the energy that the artworks exude talks about change, it can be interpreted not just in terms of loss but also as something that may change… for the better.Good stuff!

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2024